much embarrassed, drew near, she saw him not, he spoke a few
words, but she heard him not. "Dearest," he exclaimed at length, "you
kill me, you kill yourself! these powerful shocks will destroy your
constitution." "And were it not as well?" said she in a feeble voice,
without restraining her tears, "look on me, here on the ground, weep
with me; all good men should now perish." "Rise, lady," said Edmond,
while he assisted her, "if I must not believe that your reason has
deserted you."

"It has certainly suffered," said she somewhat tranquillised, while she
stood by him, and continued, "otherwise would I have seen and endured
these things as others do: it is even so, I have had a glance of the
sorrows of the world and of the enormity of mankind and can never more
jest and smile with them as formerly, I am awakened from the mock
existence and therefore you consider me mad; but you, Edmond, you,
among so many, should have known me better!"

"I am yet as in a dream," said Edmond, "how could you thus give way to
your grief, how so rudely wound the feelings of the Marshal, even
though you were in the right? I no longer recognise you, although I am
acquainted with you for more than a year. You were never thus."

"Always Edmond," sobbed she, "never otherwise, only that my grief has
burst out too violently. Why do you not understand me? Is your heart
incased in some hard metal that no feeling can penetrate it? Do not
believe that, on that account, I have neglected my mass or vesper to
implore the God of mercy to enlighten these wretches and to succour
these poor persecuted creatures, and that he may also strengthen
myself? Mark me, Edmond, although I do not belong to the community of
Huguenots, but if all these murderers were extirpated in a second by
one tremendous blow, our church should institute a festival of
thanksgiving that this stigma was removed from her, and her holy banner
would be no more dishonoured."

"I understand you now," said Edmond.--They had stepped into the
antechamber, "by heaven, I shall soon give up all society and rather
hold communion with stones than with men." He took his gun indignantly
from the wall, "How wild, Edmond, how obstinate," said she softly, "is
it then not permitted that men should understand, in love at least,
their confused Babilonean language? disembodied spirits only love--and
you say indeed that I have a place in your heart!"

"Love!" exclaimed Edmond, "accursed word! execrable e